Settlement and growth of barnacle and associated fouling organisms in pearl culture farm in the Gulf of Mannar

Dharmaraj, S and Chellam, A
(1982)
Settlement and growth of barnacle and associated fouling organisms in pearl culture farm in the Gulf of Mannar.
In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Coastal Aquaculture, Part 2, MBAI, 12-18 January 1980, Cochin.

Abstract

The settlement of fouling organisms on the pearl oysters, pearl oyster shells and wooden test panels was compared. The barnacle Bedanus amphitrite variegatus was the major fouling organism observed and the polychaete Polydora ciliata and the sponge (Cliona vasiifica) were the main boring organisms. Theintensity of settlement at different depths and the period of abundance of these organisms were studied.The successive settlement and fast growth of barnacles resulted in heavy loading on the oysters within a
short period. The fouling load and the rate of growth of barnacles were higher on the shells than on live oysters. The settlement was more at the top rows of the sandwich-type frame net